The lower platform trembled in the wake of the shattered ledge, the mist swirling thick and cold around Qin Mo and the team. The Frostflame Core's heat flickered against the biting chill, the bells' chime from his pouch a relentless pulse that tugged at his chest. The FFD System buzzed, its warning a quiet thread in his mind.
[FFD System: Frostflame Balance: Heat 25% / Cold 75%.]
The new path ahead was a narrow bridge of ice, its surface slick and unstable, stretching into the mist toward a towering spire that loomed like a frozen giant. The air grew heavy, the runes along the walls pulsing with a green light that hinted at the Silent Tax's lingering power. The team moved cautiously, their breaths fogging, their resolve tested by the recent ambush. Ren's gaze lingered on the chasm where the sect had fallen, his hands clenched around his daggers, while Yi's frost threads coiled at her sides, her eyes sharp with suspicion. Lian gripped her relic, the rune-carved stone humming faintly, and Ling Shou trailed behind, his frost-white robes tattered, his face etched with a quiet burden.
The bridge opened into a cavernous chamber, its ceiling lost in shadow, its floor a mosaic of cracked ice and ancient carvings. At the center stood a massive frostbound core, its surface pulsating with green light, the source of the Tax's power in this tower. The air crackled, and a low hum filled the space, the bells' chime syncing with the core's rhythm. Qin Mo's shard thrummed, the binding risk climbing, and he felt a chill that went beyond the cold.
[Binding risk: 55%.]
Before he could act, the core flared, summoning a wave of frostborn enforcers, their icy forms emerging from the mist with spears raised. Ling Shou stepped forward, his hands trembling but his voice steady. "This ends now," he said, his frost swirling into a barrier that shielded the team. "The core's power flows from the Tax's heart—I can sever it, but it'll take everything I have."
Qin Mo's eyes narrowed, the weight of Ling Shou's past confession hanging between them. "Do it," he said, his voice firm despite the uncertainty. The fight erupted as the enforcers charged, their spears clashing with the team's defenses. Qin Mo met the first, the Frostflame Blade igniting as it parried a thrust, sparks flying in the frigid air. The cold surged, sapping his heat, but the Frostflow passive held, his movements fluid as he countered with a Frostfang Strike, shattering the enforcer's armor.
Yi's frost threads lashed out, coiling around an enforcer's legs and yanking it down, her movements fueled by a fierce determination. "Don't you dare fail us!" she shouted, her threads tightening until the ice cracked. Ren darted in, his daggers flashing as he struck another enforcer's side, the blow drawing a hiss of steam, but the creature's numbers pressed him back. Lian's arrows flew, each shot piercing an enforcer, her relic's energy amplifying her aim, the rune-carved stone glowing brighter.
Ling Shou moved toward the core, his frost barrier weakening as he channeled his power. "Hold them off!" he called, his hands pressing against the green light. The core pulsed, resisting, and a shockwave of cold erupted, forcing the team to brace. Qin Mo raised the Frostmirror Shield, the barrier flaring to absorb the brunt, though the effort left his arms trembling. The Frostflame Surge erupted, a wave of ice and fire that shattered a cluster of enforcers, their mist dissolving into the air.
Ren stumbled, an enforcer's spear grazing his arm, and Yi pulled him clear, her threads wrapping protectively. "Stay with us!" she snapped, her voice rough with concern. Lian's arrow struck the core, the relic's energy resonating with a crack, but the green light flared, the Tax's hold unyielding. Ling Shou's face contorted, blood seeping from his nose as he pushed harder, his frost merging with the core's light.
The chamber shook, the ice cracking as Ling Shou's barrier collapsed. "This is my choice," he gasped, his voice breaking. The core pulsed once more, then shattered, the green light exploding outward in a wave that knocked the team back. The enforcers dissolved, their mist fading, and Ling Shou fell, his robes singed, his breath shallow. The bells' chime softened, the binding risk dropping, but the cost was clear.
[Binding risk: 40%.]
Qin Mo rushed to Ling Shou, the shard stabilizing, the cold receding slightly. "You did it," he said, his voice low. Ling Shou's eyes met his, a faint smile crossing his face. "The Tax's core here is broken," he whispered. "But its heart remains… find it." His breath faded, his body going still, the frost around him melting into the ice.
Yi knelt beside him, her threads retracting, her face tight with grief. "He redeemed himself," she murmured. Ren stared, his hands trembling, while Lian lowered her bow, her gaze lingering on the shattered core. The chamber's runes pulsed, a new path opening, its entrance framed by cracked ice. The team gathered, their breaths visible, the fight's adrenaline fading into a weary resolve. Ling Shou's sacrifice had weakened the towers, but the path ahead promised greater trials, each step drawing them closer to the bells' heart.